Birthday wishes
by LizzieCrawley
Summary: It happens at Robert's birthday party, when at the sound of ragtime, Robert and Cora seem to have become more daring than usual. Fluffy. Series 4 Spoilers.


Robert had managed to move away from their guests for a moment and leaned back on one of the columns of the great hall, allowing himself just watching for an instant. It was nice to see the joy and the lightness of spirit at Downton again, especially after all they had gone through. It was good to see that things were finally coming back to normal. "_Well, not exactly normal_", he thought with a smile, glancing at the jazz band that played animatedly in the middle of the room.

Mr. Molesley approached him, offering him a champagne flute, which he gladly accepted. He thanked the man with a smile and watched him walk away to attend to other guests.

He saw Tom and Isobel dancing, which made him feel intimately pleased to find out that she was finally leaving the shadows behind. He knew how hard it was to overcome the loss of a child, if it ever any parent was actually capable of it. The pain was still there, pungent, at any tiny remembrance. And he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at the memory of his sweet Sybil.

She certainly would have loved it all, and he could almost see her there among them, her big blue eyes shining with excitement and that lovely smile brightening her face completely. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to contain his emotions. No, there was no way to overcome the loss of a child, but time helped to ease the pain.

And he couldn't help but admire the strength of Isobel to finally find her way out of the mourning. Even if it were to regain the habit of confronting and disagree with his mother at everything. In fact, he couldn't deny that the endless arguments between the two ladies amused him most of the time.

His eyes then searched the room looking for Cora. She was sitting in a corner, talking with Lady and Lord Blackwood. He admired once again the beauty of his wife, her graceful silhouette, her legs crossed on that lovely crimson dress, which showed more than usual of her legs, making his imagination run wild. She smiled at something that Lord Blackwood had said, and Robert grinned too.

He silently thanked for having her at his side. She was his strength to adjust to this new world. She was his cornerstone, his worshiped wife. She was his heart. His Cora. His muse. At this thought he couldn't help but smile lightly, unable to take his eyes off her.

As feeling observed, she bent her head slowly until her eyes met his. Her face's expression softened and her lips curled into a coy smile. Robert smiled back and winked at her subtly, his eyes fixed on her stunning sapphire eyes. She blushed at the intensity of his gaze, and was forced to look away, turning her eyes back to the Blackwoods who kept talking to her.

He chuckled, and slowly sipped from his glass, inwardly pleased to still be able to cause this effect on her after all this years. Then, mostly to his surprise, she moved in the chair, uncrossing her legs and then crossing it again, while continuing her conversation with the Blackwoods, whom thankfully seemed completely oblivious to their little game. Robert was sure that she was deliberately teasing him as she slid her hand down her thigh, resting it on the height of her knee, her long and delicate fingers moving slowly as if caressing it. She then watched him from the corner of her eyes, to see the effect it had had on him, her sapphire eyes glowing. He could have sworn he saw a small, almost imperceptible, smile curving the corners of her lips.

Robert felt his heart racing and that familiar feeling of warmth rising from inside his collar shirt. But he didn't avert his gaze when she looked straight at him, and in an even bolder gesture, licked her lips discreetly, as if she needed to moister it. He then felt the warmth spreading all over his faces, and saw her smiling satisfied, lowering her eyes.

Robert suppressed a smile. That beautiful, daring and seductive woman was his wife. And she was doing an outstanding job driving him crazy. So much, he thought it was for the best to move away and go outside to catch some air. Before he ended up embarrassing himself in front of everyone. So, he handed the glass to Barrow when he saw him on his way out, and managed to slip unnoticed, since everyone seemed to be completely entertained with music and the jazz band.

He stepped out of the house, the gravel floor snapping under his feet. He folded his arms on his back, and observed the unusually starry sky, letting the cool night air fill his lungs. He smiled and closed his eyes for a moment, the image of Cora filling his mind and heart. He was feeling light and happy, as a long he didn't feel, and he knew that she was the mainly responsible for it. Then he heard the sound of footsteps and turned to see his beautiful wife approaching him, with a concerned look.

"Is anything wrong?" She asked him.

"Well," he held out his hand to her, "suddenly became really… hot inside." He said to her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. She grinned softly and took the hand he had offered her, and Robert warmly kissed the back of her hand.

"Really? I can't understand why…" She said, teasing him, and he pulled her close to him.

"Maybe it was because a certain lady of our acquaintance, was openly flirting with me." He whispered, his eyes locked on hers.

"Oh, my!" She pretended to be horrified, her blue eyes widening, but there was a teasing grin on her lips as she continued. "And who is that sassy and shameless lady that was trying to seduce my husband?"

"I believe you know her very well." He wrapped her waist with his arms, shortening the distance between them even more, his blue eyes glowing even under the moonlight. "She is the most beautiful lady in this party." He whispered in her ear, making her feel a shiver ran down her spine.

"Robert! Stop! Someone could see us!" She said, placing a hand on his chest as if she will push him away. But she stood in his arms, with a mischievous smile playing on her lips and the seductive brightness of her eyes ruining his self-control.

"I don't mind." He said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. "And, today is my birthday, anyway. So… I guess I'm entitled to some birthday wishes."

"And what is your wish, m'Lord?"

He approached his lips to her ear, and whispered, "I can't say it out loud, at least not here, downstairs", his lips brushing slightly her earlobe as he spoke, making her gasp.

Then, unable to resist any longer, he captured her lips with his, kissing her gently at first, and then, giving way to his desires, with hunger and passion. He tasted her lips, his tongue eagerly asking for passage. And when she parted her lips for him, his tongue explored her mouth intensely, and he pulled her body against his, feeling her shivering slightly.

When they finally parted, she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart racing, as they both try to regain their breath. He slid his hand gently up and down her back and let out a low sigh, before he spoke.

"I love you, Cora", he said quietly.

She pulled away from him slightly lifting her head to look at him, her eyes filled with passion.

"I love you too", she said with a soft smile, that he returned with one of his own. And then she looked at him for a moment before saying, "You surprised me today." He raised a questioning brow, and she continued. "For one moment, I thought you would send them away." Robert chuckled, and took her hands in his.

"Well, I have to confess that I didn't know how to react for… a tiny little moment", his lips curved into a soft smile, "But, as you keep telling me, we are living in the twentieth century. So I thought, why not?" He kissed her hands, and added. "And besides, I couldn't miss the chance to dance with you… and have you in my arms." He said, and could see her eyes glowing with mirth. He pulled her and kissed her on the lips again, but this time she broke the kiss quickly, looking at him with a shy smile.

"You are very... charming tonight." She said to him, blushing slightly, and he grinned.

"It's all your fault." He whispered in her lips, but before he could kiss her once more, she pulled away from him a few steps and said, "I think we better go back inside. They already have noticed our absence."

He sighed, not hiding his disappointment. But she added with a teasing grin. "Don't worry, darling. I left some surprises for… later. Upstairs." And with that she turned her back and walked off into the house, moving her hips more than necessary, just to provoke him a little longer. Robert smiled and hurried to catch up with her and took her by her hand, making that she almost had to run to keep up with him while they crossed the foyer.

He had a mischievous look in his eyes and for a moment she felt the goose bumps when he pulled her toward the staircase. He couldn't be thinking about running upstairs when all the guests were still there. But at the last moment he made a detour and then guided her straight to the great hall, pulling her to the dance floor, leading her elegantly to the sound of ragtime.

He looked into her eyes with a broad grin lighting up his face. "Did I surprise you?"

"No." She smiled back. "You scared me."

"Good. Even better." He chuckled, without hiding his satisfaction, and she shook her head, but was betrayed by the amused look in her eyes when she spoke. "Sometimes, you could be quite a silly man, Robert Crawley."

"Maybe. After all, I'm a man in love, my darling." He said, his eyes locked on hers again, and then he approached his head to hers to whisper in her ear "and I can't bare wait to be with you upstairs."

She struggled not to giggle, and tried to focus on their dance. But inwardly, she was quite glad to see him in that way, so happy and so relaxed. And especially, so bold. That was a game for two players, and on what depended on her, Robert would have a birthday to remember for a long time.


End file.
